Will solar thermal installers be replaced by AI?
Updated
Solar thermal installers score 18 of 100 for AI exposure. 76% of their task time still needs a person. AI speeds up the other 24%.
- 24% AI helps
- 76% Needs a person
Low exposure
Lower than 84% of the 923 occupations we scored.
Task by task
We graded 21 tasks, listed here from most to least exposed. AI can't do any of them end to end yet. It speeds up 5 and leaves 16 to people.
| Task | AI exposure |
|---|---|
| Design active direct or indirect, passive direct or indirect, or pool solar systems. Design sizing and layout can use AI and design software. | 50% AI helps |
| Identify plumbing, electrical, environmental, or safety hazards associated with solar thermal installations. AI can supply hazard checklists, but site inspection needs a person. | 40% AI helps |
| Determine locations for installing solar subsystem components, including piping, water heaters, valves, and ancillary equipment. AI can plan layouts from drawings; site checks stay manual. | 30% AI helps |
| Assess collector sites to ensure structural integrity of potential mounting surfaces or the best orientation and tilt for solar collectors. Orientation and tilt calculations assisted; roof inspection is physical. | 30% AI helps |
| Apply operation or identification tags or labels to system components, as required. AI can draft label text; physical tagging stays manual. | 25% AI helps |
| Demonstrate start-up, shut-down, maintenance, diagnostic, and safety procedures to thermal system owners. In-person demonstration to owners; AI only drafts guides. | 20% Needs a person |
| Test operation or functionality of mechanical, plumbing, electrical, and control systems. Hands-on system testing needs physical presence and tools. | 15% Needs a person |
| Install solar thermal system controllers and sensors. Physical sensor and controller wiring; AI helps with settings. | 12% Needs a person |
| Perform routine maintenance or repairs to restore solar thermal systems to baseline operating conditions. Repairs are physical; AI only helps with diagnosis. | 10% Needs a person |
| Install plumbing, such as dip tubes, port fittings, drain tank valves, pressure temperature relief valves, or tanks, according to manufacturer specifications and building codes. Physical valve and tank installation; code lookup is minor help. | 8% Needs a person |
Show the other 11 tasks
| Task | AI exposure |
|---|---|
| Install monitoring system components, such as flow meters, temperature gauges, and pressure gauges, according to system design and manufacturer specifications. Physically installing gauges and flow meters on piping. | 8% Needs a person |
| Install heat exchangers and heat exchanger fluids according to installation manuals and schematics. Physical heat exchanger installation from schematics on site. | 6% Needs a person |
| Fill water tanks and check tanks, pipes, and fittings for leaks. Physically filling tanks and inspecting for leaks. | 5% Needs a person |
| Cut, miter, and glue piping insulation to insulate plumbing pipes and fittings. Hands-on cutting and gluing of insulation on pipes. | 5% Needs a person |
| Apply ultraviolet radiation protection to prevent degradation of plumbing. Physically applying UV protection to plumbing. | 5% Needs a person |
| Apply weather seal, such as pipe flashings and sealants, to roof penetrations and structural devices. Physical sealing of roof penetrations on site. | 4% Needs a person |
| Install circulating pumps using pipe, fittings, soldering equipment, electrical supplies, and hand tools. Physical pump installation with tools and soldering. | 4% Needs a person |
| Install flat-plat, evacuated glass, or concentrating solar collectors on mounting devices, using brackets or struts. Physically mounting collectors on brackets and struts. | 4% Needs a person |
| Connect water heaters and storage tanks to power and water sources. Physical electrical and water connections on site. | 4% Needs a person |
| Install solar collector mounting devices on tile, asphalt, shingle, or built-up gravel roofs, using appropriate materials and penetration methods. Physically mounting devices on roofs with fasteners. | 3% Needs a person |
| Install copper or plastic plumbing using pipes, fittings, pipe cutters, acetylene torches, solder, wire brushes, sand cloths, flux, plastic pipe cleaners, or plastic glue. Replaced 'manually' with 'with hands'. | 3% Needs a person |
How solar thermal installers compare
All occupations (923)
Construction and extraction (61)
Pay and outlook in the US
- Median pay
- $63,800 a year, May 2025
- Projected change in jobs
- +6.8% from 2024 to 2034
Skills to build
- Check AI-drafted layouts against the roof in AutoCAD
- Run orientation and tilt readings on collector sites in person
- Log site measurements and hazards in Microsoft Excel
- Solder and seal copper and plastic pipe manually
- Demonstrate start-up procedures to system owners in person
- Hold OSHA 30 construction safety certification
Safer roles nearby
2 related occupations with lower scores.
Questions about solar thermal installers and AI
Will AI replace solar thermal installers?
Partly. About 1 in 10 of a solar thermal installer's working hours go to tasks AI can already do, mostly design sizing and layout plus hazard checklists. Roof mounting, soldering, and on-site start-up stay with people because they need hands on the job and a physical site visit.
Which solar thermal installer tasks is AI taking over?
Design sizing and layout scores 50 on exposure, the highest in this job, followed by hazard checklists at 40. AI can produce sizing math and layout drawings in AutoCAD, so installer time moves toward checking those outputs against the actual site.
Which solar thermal installer tasks stay human?
Installing collector mounts on tile, asphalt, and shingle roofs scores 3 on exposure, the lowest in this job. Fastening brackets, soldering copper pipe, and sealing roof penetrations need hands on a physical roof, so AI has no way to do them from a drawing.
How can solar thermal installers stay valuable?
Spend more hours on roofs and site checks, since those score lowest on exposure. Check every AI-drafted layout in AutoCAD against the real roof before cutting pipe. Log readings and hazards in Excel, and walk owners through start-up in person.
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